The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-31
TROUBLES OF GAS HUNTERS
They Find Difficulty in Scouting Leases
for Prospecting Privileges.
Farmers Who Have Desirable Land Demand
Exorbitant Prices-Negotiations for the
Gufy Company's Wells at Noblesville.

doubt do desk work in some Office acceptably
applied to a natural-gas company for employ
ment. Yesterday he called upon of the di-
rectors of the company to learn what had been
done with his request. The director could give
him no encouragement, and after the young
man left the natural-gas official said to with
whom he had been previously conversing, THAT
young man wants to makes leases for US. do
not think he will answer; do youl"
Hardly" was the reply. II should think a
man should have special fitness for that work"
well should say SO. the director remarked.
eff any one thinks he go among the farmers
now and get the of their lands for nothing
he will soon find that he made grevious mis-
take. The farmers are not taking to the ma
tura-gas craze with readiness that means the
companies can take the land and the profits
while the owners receive only the glory of hav-
ing we'll in their place and perhaps $25, $50 or
800 as rental money for each we'll drilled It
takes all of ones tact to get them to sign lease
70 $500 we'll, provided it is a productive
1 was up in the Noblesville
well region the other day. looking
after leases. wanted to find certain land
owner and was told that would probably come
across him down the road. as he had gone to
distant farm he owned. After driving three
miles more / saw. or rather saw, FOR an
other director of the company was with me,
man wearing ancient straw hat, and without
coat and vest, sitting the top rail of the fence
When opposite him I inquired, Are you Mr.
Brown
"'Yas,' he answered shortly, 'and don't want
to buy any roof paint You can drive on
But my friend. we have no paint to SELL
You are mistaken about that
That may be, but the feliers that came along
here last lust slick looking
are. amt a goin' to be fooled like my height Dor
Jones down the road He built barn. 1t was
him he ought to have the roof Of it painted.
They said they would do it dirt cheap
advertisement Old Man Jones figured on
it for awhile and told em to
go ahead. as he thought it would cost him only
$l3. Those fellers had him to sign a contract,
and the next day another set of fellers with
hours had that roof painted. When work was
done they asked Jones if he was ready to settle.
He thought was. and offered them $13, but they
pulled the contract on him. He had signed a
note for $780, Jones was hot, and he
wouldn't pay, but he did. He compromised on
$500 No, don't think want any roof paint
But want to lease your land
For natural gas suppose. Well, that IS
gettin' to be bad roof paint No, you can't
lease my land. You had better drive on But
didn't We spent the day with him, notwith-
standing he did not offer US lunch We limited
at dinner. but the old man was imperturabe.
We talked lease, and time and again suggested
neither land to lease nor lunch to give. we
left him with no hone OF drilling we'll in his
land. This incident leads me to believe that the
young man who was just in here will not do to
lease land"
Yesterday George X. Root. of the indianapolis
Gas Company. said, 1--WE have four wells, but
they will not do for piping gas to the city. They
too far apart and trou BILE would arise from the
extra expense in getting the gas from them into
the main. If they were more compact We could
pipe tomorrow. but the best well we have-the
Weavsr-is further from the city and more iso-
lated than any of them. 1t has good supply,
but to bring gas from that alone would not be
So efficient. We would have to lay extra pipe to
take up the gas from the remaining wells If a
pipe line was only a matter of $40, 600 We conld
do it, but to risk the investment of $3.50. 0G0 In
pipes the the wells we have is question for
serious consideration"
'Then you do not intend to pipe gas until you
have more wellF
1--WE sinking two in the Weaver re-
gion, and, if they come in equal to the first, we
will have three near each other That will give
us plenty of gas to warrant piping from that
locality. But what we want to do is to extend
our leases around Noblesville. We have small
the Standard and other companies have
nearly surrounded. There is way out of
that embarrassment. though, and we
are considering it. don't say
that the trade will be accomplished,
but it is possibility. Tho Guffey company,
which has leases numerous the Standard,
has made an offer TO transfer Its holdings TO the
Indianapolis Natural-gas Company. II that deal
is perfected or if it is not, and we get two more
wells in the Weaver region, our company will
lay pipe this year to the city. A pipe line from
Noblesvile will be of more service to US, we
can then take up directly the gas from Fishers
station. Harris and Weaver farms That is the
situation now, and there will De no change until
we see what our drills on the Weaver farm and
the one two miles from Noblesville will bring
in"